Ice tray grid



July 26, 1949.

ICE TRAY GRID Fi led Aug. 8, 1945 11 x \JIO 18 k C T J I v INVENTOR.

F 4 (Iu'FFoRD R. CARNEY ATTORNE c. R. CARNEY 2,477,283

Patented July 26, 1949 Florida.

,: The present invention relates to ice tray grids and more particularly'to ice tray grids which are removable from an ice tray, and which may be readily ope'ratedto secure the release of ice cubes therefrom; Y

The problem of freeing ice cubes from a'tray in which they are frozen in a conventional type of mechanical refrigerator is one which has been long present in this art. The attempts to solve the problem-have generally taken one of two directions; First,toprovide a grid formed of a resilient materiaL-such for example as rubber or the like, andwhich may bedistorted to break the bond between the grid'and the cubes, and thus to free the cubes from the grid. Second, to provide a-grid-having rigid partitioning members, certain of whichare movable relative to other of the members for the purpose of breaking the adhesion between the ice cubes and the rigid elements of the grid construction. '-In both formsof such priorgridsthe grid mechanism and the ice when frozen presents a-rigid mass-in which the grid, whether resiliently flexible or whether mechani- -cally united-for movement of one rigid section relative to the other is locked rigidly in the ice block. In both types of grids there is a mechanical connection betWeen'the-elements of the'g'ri'd which imparts a structural strength tothe grid member. 'When the ice is frozentherein the articulation'of the grid elements is destroyed. In

the case of. the resilient type of gridgthe'resiliency of the material' is "much impaired andfrequently lost at the low temperatures necessary for the freezing of the ice. Theadhesion of the ice to-the various portions of therigid-grid members in the 'type utilizing rigid members whichare movable relative-to one'another, renders, these grids immobile to the extent'that they-are for all practical purposes arigid grid structure at the beginning of the ice removing operation. In order to satisfactorily break such grids from the ice cubes, it is necessary to apply a force thereto of sufficient magnitude to move one of the grid members relative togthe other grid members, and having thus Y'initiated'the ice-freeing movement, to then follow it'with' the progressive movement of other of 'thegrid members. This is' frequently referred to in this art as a progressive fiow of power through the grid.

As distinguished from previously known types of grids, the grid of thepresentinvention is composed of a plurality ofgseparate elements'freely joined together in such-a manner that a sudden 'force applie d to any grid member is transmitted throughout-the frozen gridand ice-block to. pro

7 UNITED STATES I. v H T. ..[1f'.2,4'i"7,2saj; L' v s Clifford (larneyillliami, F la., assignor to 1M1. Corporation, .Miami Fla a. corporation ,of 14 H .Y iApplicat ion August 8, 19i5, s

' V s Claims; (swims;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken substantially on Ptheline 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the direction .of the arrows,- and-showin the grid structurelpriorto 'its'placement in an ice pan shown in crossl-sec arse. 609,526 3 i A further'object of the present invention is to providean ice tray grid structure in which the longitudinal separator is formed of a plurality 0.1 independent artieulatedseginents eachof which is independently movable relativeto the .other segments forming the longitudinal member, and each-of which is relatively-movable relativeto the cross-members. a r -A-further object of the present invention-is to provide an ice tray grid formed of a plurality of separate rigid elements so united in the-assembled structure-that each element is relatively movable with respect to the other elements making upthe "composite structure, and inwhich relative movementis initiated in the grid while frozen .inan ice block by a downwardly directed .blow, the

' shock of which is readily transmitted through the 'grid'to' the ice block as-a whole, resulting.in .the fracturewf'the block andthej .ready release of %liegrid*:'*-- a It is a further object ofthe present invention toprovidean ice tray grid constructed of a plurality of separate rigid gridelements flexibly united for relative movement of any part rela- 'tiv'e'to' every other part inall directions, within predetermined limits wherebysa shock..transmittdtdthe grid while-frozenin an. ice block is 'readily 'transmitted throughout ;.the entire frozen-blockand grid structure, resulting in the ready fracture of the ice block into a plurality of separatecubes, and the release of the. grid structuretherefrom. l J Other objects of this invention will. appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being hadto the accompanyingdraw 'likereferencecharacters designate corresponding Figu l is a perspective view with a portion brokenawa and showing anice tray grid embodyirig the presentinvent-ion, I

movement is eliminated. Thus each oi thesepinvention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various waysig.

Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for thepur-' pose of description and notion-limitation.

The rid construction hre shown-comprises i5 plurality of transverse grid members each extending in one piece across the icepam lnthe space between the one piece transverseinembers"Ware provided transverse members formed.v otJwo L-shaped metal pieces ll and 12 whose long arm forms a portion of a transverse spacerand whose short arms extend in oppositedirectionsfto provide segments of a longitudinal spacer member. 'One of the members l2 and one of themembers l I provide the first transverse grid member ofthe grid structure.

The member l2 providesan end portion l3 whichis shaped to-conform to the internal contour of the ice pan for. spacingthe entire grid-structure within the -pan.- An end -L-shaped spacer member M is provided at the op- 'posite end of the grid structure to provide for spacing the grid structure from the opposite end of the pan. The separate parts are held together by an assembly pin l5 extending longitudinally through the pierced-openingsprovided in the several separate elements forming the grid struc ture. The size of the pierced openings and the size of the assembly pin l5-aresoselectedthat mechanical binding of the-parts against relative =arate units of the grid structure is free to move relative to other separate units of the gridstructure as may be desired to the extent that play is permitted between the pierced openingsand the longitudinally extending assembly pin.-

If desired an enlargedstriker plate portion it may be provided onone of the cross-members,

and a, striker plate ll may be provided on the cross-members [0.- It is to be understood; howev'er, that such locationsof the striker plates are 5 merely suggestive and that various other locations may be used with equal success.

' The grid of the present invention is placed in a tray IB" whose normal ice levelis below the connections between the grid segments and the con- 55 'necting pin IS. The grid may be separated from the pan and from the ice block, and the ice block broken into separate cubes-by a shock resulting i-from a sharp impact or blow on anyvpart of the grid structure, as all parts of the grid structure so are loosely held in position by the connector pin 15. W: i In constructing a grid of the present invention,- I prefer to use a heat transmitting material, such for example assheeted aluminum alloys, magnewas sium alloys, or the like, the surfacesof which-have been treated to render them non-adherent to water. One 'satisfactorymethod of accomplishing this istosubject the parts to treatmentin an annodizing bath and thereafter towaxthe anno- 1 0 dized surfaces. Anothersatisiactorymethod is to polish the surfaces and thereafter .to treatthe polished surfaces with a water-proofing material such for example-as a finish containin r -awater constructions.

has been substituted for carbon in the molecule. Such products are commercially known as "silloone" resins, and ar available commercially under this name.

In order to separate the grid while frozen in the ice block from the pan 18, a sharp impact on the edge of the pan may be utilized to free the ice block and frozen grid therefrom, or the pan l8 maybe'heated as by placing under the water tap so as to free the block and the grid therefrom. 1's some instances I have found that the sharp impact on the vertically extending members l2 "an'dl3 will be adequate, not only to free the grid from-the frozen ice block, but also to free the grid andthe blo'ck=from the pan.

From the foregoing it will be understood that a grid construction embodying the present invention maybe readily assembled from a plurality of parts,-each of which may be separately fabricated. The parts are loosely held in their assembled relation so as to drop into position and occupy a predetermined position in the ice pan.

The present application is related tomy copendingapplications Serial Numbers 609,524 and 609,525, filed August 8, 1945, on ice tray grid I claim: v

1. An ice tray grid including a plurality of unitary, transverse members and a plurality of segmental transverse members each formed by one arm of a bent strip whose other arm extends sub stantially at right angles .thereto'and extends lengthwise of thecentral portion of the grid to form one segment of an articulated longitudinal divider member, and an assembly pin extending lengthwise of the grid througha pierced opening in each of said members for loosely connecting said unitary transverse members and said se mental transverse members.

0 :2. An ice tray grid including a plurality of longitudinally spaced unitary cross members, and :a plurality ofloosely connected rigid grid members interposed between said unitary cross members and comprising a plurality of rigid members each of which comprises a bent strip forming aflpair of arms extendingsubstantially at right 'anglesto each other, one of said arms extending lengthwise of the rid'and abutting on one of said unitary cross members and forming one segment 0 'of anarticulated longitudinal divider member and the other of said arms extending transversely of the grid on one side ofsaidarticulated longitudinal divider member. I

3. ice tray gridi'including a plurality of longitudinally spaced unitary cross members, and aplurality of loosely connected. rigid grid membersinterposed between said unitary cross mem-. bers and comprising a pluralityof rigid members each of which comprisesabent stripforming a pair of arms extending substantially at right angles to each other, one ofsaid arms extending lengthwise of the grid and abutting. on one of said unitary cross members andforming one segment of an articulated longitudinal divider member and the other of said armsextending transversely of the grid on one side of said articulated ,longitudinal divider member, and an assembly pin extending longitudinally of the grid through aligned openings pierced in said rigid grid members and-in saidunitary cross members for loosely connecting said members.

- 4. A segmental grid for an ice tray andincluding a plurality of. loosely joined rigid members each bent substantially at right angles to form impermeable plastic substance in which silicon 15pm; ,segment of ag; articulated longitudinal dithereof and the separation of ice therefrom.

'5; An'articulated grid for an ice tray and including articulated longitudinal partition formed of plurality of separate metal strips,

to form an itending arm lying on one side of said longitudin ljpartition, and comprising a portion of one transverse partition and a plurality of unitary" transverse members interposed between the adjacent ends of the portions of said metal strips i ormingithe articulated longitudinal partition, and an assembly pin extending on a line parallel to said articulated longitudinal partition and connected with said transverse members for is bent substantially at right angles loosely joining said members in their -assembled position.

6. An ice tray grid comprising a plurality 0t longitudinally spaced unitary transverse menibars, a segmental transverse member interposed between each pair of said unitary transverse members and having portions extending therefrom and forming segments of a. longitudinal partition member, and a, longitudinally extending connector member loosely connected with all of said transverse members.

CLIFFORD R. CARNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me of this patent:

UNITED STATES isms Number Name Date 2,184,112 Blomqvist et al Dec. 19, 1939 2,190,502 Keiper Feb. 13, 1940 2,275,522 Geyer Mar. 10, 1942 2,403,846 Camey July 9, 1946 

